Stop hinge for luggage cases



Nov. 1939. J. H. PLOTKIN 2.1811025 STOP HINGE FOR LUGGAGE GASES FiledApril 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Xadep Nov. 21, 1939. J, H, PLQTKM2,181,025

STOP HINGE FOR LUGGAGE CASES Filed Aprilv 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Vii/7575555!!! I Well/I [IIg/II/I/zit! fiverzz/ wep ikk,

Patented Nov. 21, 1939 UNITED STATS 2,181,025 STOP HINGE FOR LUGGAGEGASES:

Joseph H.- Plotkin, omega,

Dresner & Son, Inc., tion of Illinois 7 Ill., assignor to 1 Chicago,111., a corpora- Application April 2,1938, Serial No. 199,543 I 2.Claims.

This invention is directed to a hinge construction for luggage 'cases,which combines stop features for limiting the opening of the casesections, and in particular the construction is one '5- which issufficiently compact 'tobe practically concealed within'the lining ofthe case. so that it will not protrude itself unduly, but will at thesame time afford adequate means for holding the case sectionsin openposition without the necessity for providing separately attached linksor the like for such purpose.

Further objects and details will appear from a description oftheinvention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure1 is a sectional view of a portion of a luggage case displaying oneofthe forms of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the case sections in open relation;

Fig. 3 is a perspectivedetail of the slotted link plate; I

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of one of the hinge sections for pivotingthe link plate;. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a somewhat difieren 55 form ofhinge construction, showing the hinge sections in the closed position;

Fig. 6 is a similar View showing the hinge sections in open position;

Fig. 7 is an edge elevation tions in the closed position;

Fig. 8 is a similar view with in the open position; and

Figs. 9 and 10-are sectional elevations of the hinge sections in theclosed and open positions respectively.

Referring first to the construction shown in Figures 1 to 4, the hingeof the present invention is applied to a luggage case comprisingsections A and B, the former of which may be re- 0 garded as the bottomsection and the latter the top section.

The hinge ll comprises two sections each consisting of an inner'faceplate I 2 and an edge flange I 3, the latter flanges being ofinterfitted 5 tubular form to receive a pintle I l. One of the hingesections is provided with a headed stud I 5 which coacts with an arcuatelink plate l6 provided with a slot I! adapted to ride upon the headedstud, which aifords a stop for engaging the terminus of the slot whenthe case is opened as in Fig. 2.

The link is preferably stamped out of a flat plate to provide trunnionsI8 which, as shown,are journalled Within a pair of sleevelikeprotuberant portions l9 formed at the angle of the companof the hingesecthe hinge sections ion hinge plate, which-arrangement afiords aconvenient pivot forthe' end of the slotted link whenthe hinge plate issecured in position. In order to protect the working parts from contactwith the contents of the luggage case, a 5.; shield or guard 20 issecured to that one of the hinge plates which carries theheaded stud iiiin position to overlie the stud and the major portion of the link whenthe case is closed. The arcuate slotted link will accommodate itself tothe movement of the headed stud l5, and when the'limit of movement isreached will serve to hold the case sections open. I 1

In the form shown in Figures 5 to 10 inclusive, the hinge comprises aplate section 2i which :51,: is secured to the inner face of the rearwall of one ofthe case sections, and said section coacts with a slidablehinge'section 22, the two sections being provided with interfittedsleeve por tions 23 which are pivoted bya pintle 2d. The slideplatesection 22 is held in adjacent relation to a plate 25' which is securedto the inner face of the rear wall of the companion case section and isprovided with inturned tongues 26 which engagethe edges of the slideplate and af- 25-. ford limited sliding movement thereto.

' The base plate 25 is provided with outstanding stop tongues 21 whichregister with slots it in the slide plate section 22, so that the latterwill be afforded the limit of'sliding movement 30. indicated in-Figures5-and'6, which is necessary in order to permit the necessary clearance iin swinging the hinge from the closed to the open position. It will benoted that in the closedposition'indicated inFig. 7, the edges of thecoinpanion case sections stand in edge abutting relation and that thesections-are of considerable thickness, while in Fig. 8, the edge of oneof the sections overlaps the outer edge wall of the companion section,and the sliding movement provided must be sufiicient to afiord thenecessary clearance to the case sections in the movement indicated.

However, in order to hold the edges of the case sections tightlytogether, as in Fig. 7 when the case is closed, it is necessary toprovide a latching means which will now be described.

The base plate 25 is provided with an outstanding tongue 29 terminatingin a flange 30 which coacts with a hooked finger 3| projecting forwardlyfrom the plate 2|. During the closing of the case sections, the hookedfinger will ride over the flange .30, and engage the flange in the manner shown in Fig. 7, which holds the edges of the case sections in closeabutment and prevents the retraction which would otherwise be permittedby the limited movement of the slide plate 22. However, when thesections of the case are swung open on the hinges, the hooked fingerwill free itself from the keeper flange 30, will allow the slide plateto be drawn outwardly by its hinge connection with the companion plate 2I, thus allowing the freedom of movement necessary to permit thesections of the case to assume the position indicated in Fig. 8.

Ordinarily it will not be necessary to make the hooked finger 3| ofspring material, since there will be sufficient looseness and freedom ofmovement to permit these parts to be released under pressure, but ifmore accurate fitting is desired, the hooked latch finger 3 I- may bemade of spring material, so as to yield in passing over the flange 30.

In use, with the sections of the case closed as in Fig. 7, the edgeswill stand in close abutment and will be locked against the creation ofa gap by the engagement of the latch finger 3|, but these parts willrelease under a swinging movement, and this permits the slide plate tobe drawn out to the limit of its movement and until the sections of thecase have assumed the position shown in Fig. 8. In this position, thepressure of the hinge will be relieved by the contact of the edge of theopen top section with the outer marginal wall of the bottom section, andthis in addition to the reinforcement afforded by the stop tongues 21will prevent further opening of the parts, Without, however, subjectingthe hinges to undue strains in view of the reinforcement provided. Thisarrangement is extremely compact in that the operating parts all liefiatwise against the rear walls of the case sections, with noprotrudingparts which extend outwardly to any material degree. The arrangement isone which may be readily covered and practically concealed by the liningof the case, so that there will be no interference with the contents ofthe case.

In both constructions, compactness in arrangement has been secured to amarked degree, without, however, sacrificing the bracing action requiredin holding the open section of the case in upstanding relation, therebydispensing with conspicuous links, braces, or the like, which arecommonly employed for holding the parts in open position. Furthermore,in both forms of construction, the operating parts are all made ofstamped material of stiff and rugged construction, so that abundantstrength can be secured without the addition of extraneous braces.

Although the invention has been described with particularity as todetail, it is not the intenand this r tion, unless otherwise indicated,to limit the construction to the forms here shown, since modificationstherein may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A hinge for the two sections of a luggage case or the likecomprising, companion hinge plates each having an inner plate portionadapted to be secured to the inner face of the rear wall of each saidcase sections, an angularly disposed fiange portion extending from eachinner plate portion adapted to embrace the end faces of said rear walls,a pintle pivotally uniting said flange portions at a point outwardlyoffset with respect to the plane of said inner plate portions, one Ofsaid hinge plates being formed at the angle between its inner plateportion and flange portion with a sleeve-like protuberance, a slottedlink plate having a trunnion journaled within said sleeve-likeprotuberance, said link plate being of a length to overlap the innerplate portion of the other hinge plate in all positions of said hingeplates, and a stop member outstanding from the inner plate portion ofsaid other hinge plate for engaging the slot in said link plate forlimiting angular movement between the companion hinge plates.

2. A hinge for the two relatively swingable sections of a luggage caseor the-like comprising, companion hinge plates each having an innerplate portion adapted to be secured to the inner face of the rear wallof each said case sections, an angularly disposed flange portionextending from. each inner plate portion adapted to embrace the endfaces of said rear walls, one of said flange portions being bifurcated,a pintle pivotally uniting said flange portions at a point outwardlyoffset with respect to the plane of said inner plate portions, one ofsaid hinge plates being formed at the angle between its inner plateportion and bifurcated flange portions with aligned sleeve-likeprotuberances, a longitudinally curved and slotted link plate havingoppositely extending trunnions at its inner end journaled within theopposed ends of said protuberances, said link plate being of a width toswing freely between said bifurcated flange portions and of a length tooverlap and slide upon the inner plate portion of the other hinge platein all positions of said hinge plates, and a stop in the form of aheaded stud outstanding from the inner plate portion of said other hingeplate and slidably interlocked with said slotted link plate for limitingangular movement between the companion hinge plates.

JOSEPH I-I. PLO'IKIN.

